The Curlew had its first diners and winers through the door last night as Mark and Sara invited a few close friends and family to see and sample their new restaurant’s wares.
They’ve put a Herculean amount of effort into The Curlew so to see how proud and enthusiastic they were about presenting it the people close to them was really quite touching.
The hand-picked party were quick to give John Macaulay of Macaulay Sinclair a pat on back. The Curlew is a modern British bistro and John has reflected that in his design spec: twists of humour and personality run throughout The Curlew from the take on plated walls to sketched cow wallpaper to cocks and hens restrooms! He was a bit shy, but we got him to talk us through a few bits and pieces.
John Macaulay takes us through The Curlew
But then, people go to restaurants to eat and drink. The food was brilliantly cooked and presented by the Neil, his kitchen and the waiting staff. In fact, we grabbed a couple of minutes with Neil during prep. He told us about how he’s just source a bit of local honey to use in The Curlew ice cream and how that philosophy runs throughout the place. Have a listen…
This blogger went for the squid (I woke up this morning actually thinking about the texture of the quail’s(?) egg that accompanied the squid!), beef, which I shared with John, and junket for desert. The food was simply amazing. Wonderfully balanced presentation and flavours amply accompanied by an impressive wine list – we went for Cabernet Sauvignon and Rioja, in case you wanted to know.
Mark and Sara are going through it all again tonight with a few more people before the first ‘real’ customers come through the door on Friday. If you’re one of the lucky few, why not post a comment here? We’d love to know what you think.
Good times.